This invention relates to a method of inactivating HTLV-III virus in blood and blood components.
In recent years, considerable effort has been undertaken by scientists and blood bank specialists to free the nation's blood supply from contamination by viruses, especially the hepatitis viruses. Various approaches have been used, including separation of the viruses by adsorption, filtration and other such physical methods of separation. Chemical treatment to inactivate the viruses also has been used either by itself or in combination with physical separation methods. Thus, use of .beta.-propionolactone with colloidal silica adsorption is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,264. Treatment with a wide variety of surfactants is described in many patents, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,314,997; 4,315,919; 4,481,189; 4,591,505; and 4,613,501. Treatment with other organic liquids such as halohydrocarbons is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,556, and various alkanes, ketones and perfluorocarbons are suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,361. Use of ion exchange resins is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,002. Still another approach involves heat treatment of the blood or blood component to inactivate the viruses. This is illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,278.
With the recent discovery and identification of the virus reported to cause acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), an additional contamination problem has appeared with respect to the blood supply. This contamination can arise through collection of blood from donors carrying the AIDS virus. This retrovirus, the third known T-lymphocyte virus (HTLV-III), has the capacity to replicate within cells of the immune system and thereby lead to a profound destruction of T4.sup.+ T cells. See Gallo et al., Science 224, 500-503 (1984), and Popovic et al., Ibid., 497-500 (1984). The virus has also been called lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV) or AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV) and, more recently, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
While suggestions have been made for individuals to avoid the potential problem of blood contamination with the AIDS virus by making autologous blood donations, such approaches are not likely to be practical except for storing relatively small amounts of blood for scheduled operations.
Accordingly, a method for inactivating or removing the AIDS virus from stored blood and blood components would have significant utility.